Results of reinduction therapy with paclitaxel and carboplatin in recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the treatment results and toxicity of a retreatment regimen of paclitaxel and carboplatin in patients with ovarian cancer relapse.

METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 241 consecutive patients with primary epithelial ovarian cancer receiving paclitaxel and a platinum analogue as first-line treatment was performed. Relapse treatment of platinum-sensitive patients consisted of paclitaxel (175 mg/m(2)) over 3 h followed by carboplatin at an area under the concentration-time curve of 5, repeated every 3 weeks.

RESULTS: Forty-three patients with relapse were treated with paclitaxel and carboplatin after a median progression-free interval from the end of first-line chemotherapy of 15.8 months (range 6.0-41.7 months). In patients with evaluable disease the overall response rate was 84% (95% CI: 68.0-93.8%). The progression-free survival and overall survival from start of relapse treatment were a median of 9.7 months (range 1.4-26.9 months) and 13.1 months (range 4.5-35.5 months), respectively. In a multivariate Cox analysis independent prognostic factors for progression-free survival after first relapse were response to relapse treatment (P = 0.002, hazard ratio = 13.9) and time to first recurrence (P = 0.016, hazard ratio = 0.167). The planned treatment was accomplished by 67% of patients. Grade 4 neutrocytopenia over 1 week was observed in 9.3% of patients. Grade 1-2 peripheral neuropathy was reported in 30% of patients. Only 1 patient had her paclitaxel dose attenuated because of grade 4 neuropathy.

CONCLUSION: Retreatment with paclitaxel and carboplatin in patients with platinum-sensitive epithelial ovarian cancer relapse yielded a high response rate and encouraging progression-free survival and overall survival. Paclitaxel-carboplatin reinduction therapy is generally well tolerated and the toxicity is manageable.